


Discovery

by xrosedarlingx



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Awkward Crush, F/F, Fluff, Tagging as I go, Teen Crush, Teenage Mabel Pines, Teenage Pacifica Northwest, Useless Lesbians, a little angst but its mostly strong feelings, i get some swearing... as a treat, mabifica
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:39:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27871674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xrosedarlingx/pseuds/xrosedarlingx
Summary: Pacifica and Mabel get to know each other again and find out how much they enjoy each others’ company.
Relationships: Pacifica Northwest/Mabel Pines
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This does not take place during the canon. They are both aged up to around 16 and attend Gravity Falls Highschool together.  
> I use italics a few times to show Mabel’s thoughts.

The elevator began to click and slowed down. With a sudden jolt, it stopped and both Mabel and Pacifica yelped. The main lights went out so only a small amount of light came from the button panel and from around the door.  
Mabel rushed towards the buttons, “Oh no… no, no, no. No!”  
Pacifica began to frantically bang on the doors while Mabel pushed the Help button. Eventually, they got a response in the form of a deep voice through the intercom, “Hey, we are so sorry but it seems like it's gonna be a little while until the repairman comes. Don’t worry you guys are completely safe in there it should be half an hour at most.”  
 _… Shit._  
Resigned, they sat down against opposite walls barely able to see each other through the darkness.  
Mabel could see Pacifica was sitting with her legs tucked under her, with a few shopping bags near her.

Mabel had recently noticed a change in Pacifica. Maybe it was just a teenager thing but she seemed more self aware and shy. She was quieter. She hadn’t even insulted Mabel when she got on the elevator with her. Mabel didn't mind that in particular but she did worry. Pacifica’s parents or friends probably wouldn’t notice any if these changeschanges.  
 _She could be going through something and have no one to talk to. Come on, you can do this. Just start a conversation._  
“Ummm, seems like we just have to wait a while. Pretty good weather today… am I right…”  
“My driver let me out right by the front door, so I guess I didn't see it.”  
Another few moments of awkward silence passed. Mabel jumped in again, “How’s school going? Mr. Archer’s math class is sooooo tough.”  
“Yea, he's really harsh for no reason. My bio class is pretty fun though, I think your brother’s in it. I have Mrs. Scott.”  
Mabel was happy she was finally getting some actual response. “Yea, I had Mrs. Scott for chem last year, she's great. My classes are fine, just really boring.”  
Yet another silence.  
Pacifica looked up at Mabel, who was now looking down at her hands.  
“You know, Mabel, you look really nice in this light.”  
“Oh shut up, it's practically pitch black in here.”  
“No seriously, the soft lights are making you glow.”  
They both let out a quiet and awkward giggle that filled the emptiness in the elevator.  
“Pacifica, can I tell you something… I’m actually pretty scared right now.”  
She was greeted by silence. She heard a little rustling and suddenly realized that Pacifica had crawled over to her.  
They made eye contact and Mabel finally understood what she meant about the soft lighting making people glow. Pacifica settled next to her with her hand resting open on the ground between them. Mabel reached out and held it.  
“Just breathe Mabel. It's gonna be alright.”  
Their breathing synced. They sat quietly for what felt like an hour, but it was really only a few minutes.  
There was a sudden jolt in the elevator and Mabel squeezed her hand hard, terrified.  
The doors opened and Pacifica quickly let go of her. Light flooded in and Mabel instinctively closed her eyes. By the time she opened them, Pacifica was standing in the doorway with her bags.  
Dipper stood proud next to a man who was putting away tools into a box. A few onlookers were around, one reached out their hand to help Pacifica out of the elevator which was still about a foot away from being level with the ground. She stepped down and disappeared past the crowd. Mabel got out next. Dipper stood in front of her, pleased with himself that he was able help them get out. Mabel was barely paying attention to him and was still trying to track Pacifica with her eyes.

She spotted her 20 feet away and shouted, “Bye Pacifica,” and saw the blonde girl turn around and give a quick smile before rushing off to meet a man in a suit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pacifica runs into Mabel in the park and they decide to hang out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops! Its been a few weeks since I posted chapter one. I hope you enjoy, there should be another chapter up pretty soon.

It had been a three days since they sat in that elevator together. They hadn't seen each other since then but Pacifica couldn't stop thinking about it. She had even debated going to the Mystery Shack, but she would never be seen going there willingly.

Pacifica walked along a thin concrete path in the park with her dog close in front. Her parents had told her she needed to let the housekeepers walk the dog, but what was the point of having a dog if you never pay attention to it?  
As Pacifica was lost in thought, her dog led her off the pavement onto the grass. She looked up and saw she was walking right to where a few girls were having a picnic. Getting closer she realized that it was Mabel, Candy, and Grenda.  
Pacifica tried to steer away but Mabel had seen her and was already running up to her, asking if her dog was friendly. Pacifica nodded, still a little stunned. Mabel was kneeling in front of the excited dog while asking questions between bursts of petting and cooing.  
“What's his name?”  
“Oh haha... her name is Jackie”  
Mabel giggled, “Oops! Well she's very cute!”  
Eventually, she stood up. Pacifica looked down at her and saw she was wearing a bright gingham dress that matched the blanket being used for their food. Mabel was significantly shorter than Pacifica, who took after her father in height.  
“Pacifica, you gotta join us over here we have extra stuff!!”  
She considered it but knew that they would be a lot to deal with and decided against it.  
“Jackie doesn’t like staying in one place so we are probably gonna keep going all day. Sorry but have fun you guys!”  
Mabel made an exaggerated frown before giving Jackie another pet and starting to turn around.  
She stopped and turned so she was facing Pacifica again, “Well, are you free tonight we have to hang out. It’ll just be us, Candy and Grenda have plans.”  
Pacifica let her heart take over and quickly answered, “Yes! … um yeah... that sounds nice.”  
Mabel gave a massive grin that made her heart flutter, “Ok, gimme your phone right now. We NEED to have each other's numbers.”  
She fumbled to get her phone from the bottom of her purse as Mabel stood hand outstretched.  
They traded phones and began to type. Pacifica wrote her full name along with her phone number. It was almost unconscious, she was always told that it was important for her to proudly flaunt the Northwest name.  
They both smiled as they held out the other's phone.  
 _Mabel’s smile is so cute. It's so authentic, I’ve always admired that about her. She is so herself. You can tell from her smile that she has a good heart._  
“So, is 4:30 good for you?” Mabel asked.  
Pacifica snapped out of the daze she was in, “Ummm. Oh yeah, 4:30 works for me.”  
“I'm so excited! See you then!”  
Mabel stepped towards her and wrapped her in a tight hug. Pacifica loved the feeling of her head on her shoulder and arms around her waist. And she smelled so good, like candy and art class. She would have let the embrace go on forever but a few seconds later Mabel let go and was bouncing back to her friends.  
As she was walking away, she tried to keep the time 4:30 in her mind. Making a mental list of how she should get ready. She probably didn't need to get dressed up or anything but some part of her wanted to look her best for Mabel. She couldn't wait.  
Pacifica unlocked her phone to input the time for the hang out and inform her parents she might miss dinner. It opened to the contacts app and she saw Mabel had entered her name with a pink heart emoji at the end. Her cheeks felt hot and she felt embarrassed, happy and giggly all at once.  
She smiled to herself and her walk started turning into a jog, Jackie complied and was running right next to her. It felt like running on air, she had so much energy. 4:30 couldn't come soon enough!  
Pacifica suddenly realized how sweaty she was, and how far she was from home. She stopped to catch her breath and dialed her driver on the phone.  
“Ok Miss Northwest, I will be able to pick you up in 5 minutes.”  
“Sounds great, I’ll be waiting by the street exit.”  
By the time Pacifica got home, she had a good idea of what she wanted to wear. She thought that jeans, a baby pink sweater, and matching headband were good. Very understated and worked for most occasions, which was necessary as Pacifica had been too caught up in the moment she forgot to ask where they were meeting.  
Although it took some motivational speeches in the mirror, she had worked up the courage to text Mabel and ask what they would be doing.  
After a few minutes and no response, she was sure Mabel had forgotten about her. She got out a towel and robe to shower but was still sitting on the edge of the counter, waiting for a reply.  
*Ding*  
‘Hi Pacifica! I was thinking we grab coffee at Lazy Susan’s and figure it out from there.’  
She wrote back, trying to seem casual, ‘Awesome, meet you there @ 4:30’

…

4:25 rolled around and Pacifica was walking up to the run down diner. She entered hoping she would get a table for them when she saw Mabel already sitting at a table waving her over. Mabel beamed, “You're early! Hope this table is cool with you.”  
“Yea it's ok with me. This place is like… significantly cleaner than the last time I was here.”  
“Yea, Susan must have elves or something working for her now because it's been really clean and the foods better. Dipper is convinced that its elves or witchcraft but I don't really care, as long as the pancakes are good.”  
They made small talk about families and school as Pacifica scanned the restaurant with her eyes, taking in the updated decor.  
In a booth on the other end of the room, she saw two people obviously hiding behind a newspaper. If the way they were dressed didn't give it away, the deep booming voice coming from one of the girls did.  
“Mabel, this might sound like a weird question but… are your friends spying on us from that booth over there?”  
She pointed at the booth and they both angled themselves so they could see it. Before Mabel started to feign ignorance, “Wow, that's so weird… I don't think it's them…”  
She trailed off before, making eye contact with Pacifica again, “Yea I'm not gonna lie. They were suspicious that you were, you know, being nice and wanted to be my friend.”  
They awkwardly laughed and looked down at the table.  
Pacifica was so used to feeling in control, commanding the attention of everyone around her. Why did she feel so shy now? She didn’t care about people paying attention to her all she wanted to do was watch Mabel. Watch her laugh. Watch her talk. Watch her just sitting there across the table.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pacifica and Mabel start hanging out in secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally added some angst, Pacifica's parents are bad to her.

They had only met at the diner once. After that it was mostly texting. It seemed like they were both a little embarrassed to be out in public together but mostly Pacifica. She was never a fan of Mabel’s friends but now she wanted them to like her. Everything about Mabel made her get all in a twist, she wanted to be perfect for her. She normally dressed for other people, but now she was dressing for one person in particular.  
While they didn’t see each other outside of passing each other in the school halls and making small talk, the two texted constantly. Phone calls were infrequent because of their schedules, during the day they were both too busy and at night the sound would wake up Dipper.

One Saturday night, Pacifica sat on her bed reading from her calculus textbook when she heard her phone vibrate on her nightstand. She instinctively lunged at it, hoping it was Mabel replying to her. It was.  
M: ‘Sorry! I was baking cookies and didn’t check my phone. My day was pretty good, what about you?’  
P: ‘I'm bored :( What kind of cookies?’  
M: ‘Chocolate chip :)’  
P: ‘My favorite, I would love something like that right now”  
A knock on the bedroom door drew her attention away before she could hit send on another message about cookies. Her mom was already on her way in.  
“Darling, you know you should be studying. No phone. How do you expect to get into the best schools?” Pacifica put her phone face down on the nightstand again.  
Mrs Northwest continued, “You know the plan. Top of your class if you want to get into an Ivy League and make a good life for yourself.”  
She strolled around the room, “We are counting on you Pacifica, you’ve known that since you were young. Now get back to work.”  
Pacifica did as she was told, grabbing her pencil and doing problems in her notebook.  
When she was sure the coast was clear she grabbed her phone. Just to be careful she went to the bathroom and sat by her vanity while she sped to explain herself.  
P: ‘Yuck, my mom just came into my room and gave me a lecture’  
M: ‘Aw that sucks, what was it this time?’  
P: ‘The regular. You know Ivy league, family, legacy, blah blah blah’  
M: 'Is she always like that?'  
P: ‘Pretty much. Honestly, I can’t wait to get out.’  
P: ‘But that probably means going to Harvard or something and still becoming a housewife.’  
M: ‘I can't even imagine. :( You are so much better than that. Promise me.’  
P: ‘That’s sweet <3’  
M: ‘I wish I could hug you now. :(‘  
P: ‘Yea, it feels like we never see each other’  
M: ‘What if… we saw each other now?’  
P: ‘Huh?’  
M: ‘We can like meet up somewhere.’  
P: ‘LOL you know that it’s midnight, right?’  
M: ‘So? You don’t have to tell your parents.’  
The thought went back and forth in Pacifica’s head, weighing the pros and cons. She wanted to see her so bad it gave her butterflies just thinking about it. But when she remembered  
P: ‘IDK Mabel I've never snuck out before’  
M: ‘There's a first time for everything! But I get it if you say no :(‘  
Mabel was right, it could be really fun. And it's a new experience. She is right, right? What's the worst thing that could happen.  
P: ‘Ok sounds fun :)’  
M: ‘Yes! I know the perfect place. I’ll meet you down the road from your house, by the museum?’  
P: ‘Ok I’ll see you in about an hour’

Pacifica opened her bedroom door, assessing whether or not it would be possible to leave through the front door. She craned her neck and was able to see a faint light coming from her fathers study, which was between her and the exit. Carefully stepping back into her room she moved around it, eventually focusing on her balcony. She peered down and quickly realized there was a large tree branch that could easily be climbed onto. It would require some work but she could make it down and back up.  
She went into her closet, grabbing a hoodie and water bottle from her gym bag. As she looked through the bag she was reminded to put on deodorant and perfume. Pacifica leaned down in front of a mirror, taking her hair out of its white scrunchie and jostling it with her hands. She put on some clear lip gloss. After slipping the tube into her pocket she checked herself out one more time, it's the perfect impromptu-midnight-meeting look. Pacifica braced herself to climb off the balcony.  
Meanwhile inside the Pines residence, Mabel got out of bed. Putting on socks and carrying her shoes with her, as to not disturb Dipper. Her family all slept at 9 or 10 so she didn't have to worry about them. She grabbed the first purse she saw, stashing her phone, wallet and keys in it as she started to creep down the stairs. Finally she reached the kitchen, which was bathed in moonlight and much easier to navigate. She carefully folded the tablecloth and put it in her open bag, fitting in as much as she could and allowing the rest to hang. Mabel spotted the tupperware of cookies on the counter and tucked them under her arm. In one motion, she grabbed a thin jacket hanging by the door and opened the door with her other hand. Slipping out into the yard, she gently closed the door and tried to force the cookies into her purse.  
Pacifica still sat on the edge of her balcony, debating whether or not it was worth it. A text from Mabel informing her that she was on her way, convinced her. She counted down from three under her breath, before grabbing the branch with both arms. After some more thought and hyping herself up, she took her feet off the ground one at a time and wrapped them around the tree. Pacific proceeded to move like and inch worm, working her way all the way to the base. She made sure she was out of sit of the massive windows and stopped to take a breath. The lawn was almost pitch black but her vision began to adjust and she saw the main shapes.  
The front path had motion sensor lights, so that wouldn't work. The other side of the house that let out into the walking path was visible from her fathers study. She decided she would zig zag around where she could remain invisible and could probably slipped through the bushes and onto the street in front of the house. She crept along the yard terrified, not only of the dark and bugs, but of getting caught.  
Finally, she reached the street. This felt comforting but empty. The streetlights meant the streets were flooded with an amber hue. The moon was obscured by clouds. There were no cars in sight.  
The walk went by quickly. In the distance, Pacifica could see Mabel. She was sitting at a picnic bench, illuminated by the flood lights around her. She was close to 50 feet away, when Mabel looked up and started waving wildly. She haphazardly got off the bench and started walking towards her.  
Mabel was wearing a rain jacket but underneath Pacifica could tell she had on a long purple shirt and sweatpants. She had her hair up for the first time in a while. Pacifica could remember seeing her with her hair in a ponytail during gym class, but this bun was much more relaxed, with strands hanging out around her face.  
Before Pacifica realized, they were standing face to face.  
Mabel giggled, “Woahh, nice glasses Pacifica!”  
Shit, it felt like I forgot something.  
“Oh yea I guess I didn’t think to change back to my contacts when I left.”  
“They’re cute, you should wear them more often.”  
“Yea right,” Pacifica laughed it off.  
“So, I had a spot in mind that we can go to.”  
Mabel looped her arm around Pacifica’s to lead her.  
They strolled down a small bike path off the main road. It was silent but Mabel interjected a few “It’s this way”, “Right turn”, “Over here”. Soon she let go of Pacifica’s arm and sped up a little to pull back a large branch on the side of the path, instructing Pacifica to go under the leaves.  
She pushed her way under the branches and into the clearing, which overlooked the lake. The grass was still growing as it hadn't been walked on much yet. She walked towards the edge, seeing there was a steep hill which led onto a rock covered beach. Pacifica turned around to see Mabel finally getting through the branches and into the clearing. She had a twig entwined in her hair, which made Pacifica giggle. Awkwardly approaching her she pointed to the twig, “You have something in your hair.”  
After watching Mabel struggle to find the end and loosen it from her hair, she gave up, “Can you just do it”  
“Yea come a bit closer in front of me.”  
Mabel did as she was instructed and Pacifica gently began to unravel the twig which had been embedded in her hair. Without asking, her hands jumped to the messy bun and she took off the hair tie that was securing it, her dark hair cascaded down. She glanced down to Mabel's face to see if she objected and realized she had been staring up at her the whole time. She smiled, their faces only inches apart.  
Pacifica forced her attention back to the twig, which now easily slipped out. She handed it to Mabel and fixed her middle part for her. After stepping back to assess her work, Pacifica nodded, “Perfect.”  
Mabel reached down and pulled the table cloth out of her bag and laid it on the ground, placing the tupperware of cookies in the center, “Voila!”.  
They both sat down. The grass underneath provided a surprisingly comfortable cushion. Pacifica was finally able to take in all their surroundings. Across the lake were a series of forested mountains that were barely visible in the dark. When she looked up she could see the moon surrounded by stars. She could hear the waves crashing against themselves as they got to shore, the faint buzz of cicadas, and the breeze through the trees.  
“How did you ever find a place like this…” She said with amazement.  
“Well, I was out here with Dipper and Soos a few years back. We were following up on some tip about a bigfoot sighting or something. And we just kinda stumbled upon it. I've been coming back ever since.”  
Mabel positioned herself and laid down. Pacifica remained sitting, resting her weight on her hands behind her. She opened her phone to check the time and found herself scrolling through instagram. After seeing a meme, she turned around to show it to Mabel, who was immersed in the sky. Taking the hint Pacifica laid back, staring at the stars.  
“Pacifica do you like astrology, zodiacs and stuff?”  
“Yea I know a little bit about it. What's your sign?”  
Mabel answered with little hesitation, “My sun sign is virgo, my moon is libra, and my rising sign is cancer. Ive done the whole natal chart before.”  
“Oh all I know is that I'm a capricorn.”  
Mabel reached towards her purse, fumbling to get her phone out. She then turned on her side to face Pacifica and propped herself up. Pacifica rolled over, watching Mabel scrolling. The cool light was highlighting her face.  
“Oooo, capricorn and virgo are highly compatible.”  
“Makes sense, this all feels very… compatible…” Pacfiica trailed off into a short chuckle.  
“Aww how sweet,” Mabel said, somewhat sarcastically.  
They both laid back down, staring at the sky again. Their conversation remained light, about school, weekend plans. It was frequently interrupted by bouts of silence, which became longer and longer. The adrenaline of their adventure was wearing off. Heavy eyelids, that make each blink feel like the last. Their words cut short by yawns. They each drifted to sleep promising it would only be to rest their eyes.

…

The sound of a bird called awoke Pacifica, who found she was laying against Mabel, her head nuzzled into her side and her hand outstretched over her. She saw the sun peaking over the horizon and her body jolted up. She scrambled over to her phone and saw the time 5:10am.  
“Oh my gosh, Mabel,” She gently rocked Mabel’s shoulder, “Mabel! We fell asleep! Its 5am.”  
Mabel came to, rubbing her eyes. Pacifica’s urging finally set in and Mabel jumped to her feet. They both silently grabbed their belongings.  
“Cmon Mabel, let’s go! My mom wakes up at like 5:30 or 6 every morning.”  
Mabel scooped everything into her purse. She pushed into the forest dragging Pacifica by the hand. In the morning light, it was much easier to see where they were going.  
They got to the sidewalk and shared a look before they turned away from each other, fingers interlocked for as long as they could be until they were seperated.  
Pacifica ran home, ignoring the weird looks from people. She saw a clocktower in the distance and saw the time… 5:45am. Oh No.  
She got back through the yard the same way she came in but this time the empty stretch between her and the house felt dangerous. She could be spotted at any moment.  
As she approached, she saw the light off in her parents bedroom. She decided that the best course of action would be the front door, she didn't have the strength to climb back up.  
She reached the front door, remaining out of sight from the electronic doorbell.  
Pacifica unlocked the door and slinked upstairs through the silent house. She felt a sense of relief, sure that she would be able to slip into bed and pretend like nothing happened.  
She entered her room and quietly set her bag down.  
“Pacifica, where have you been.”  
A stunned silence hung.  
“Answer the question.” She raised her voice.  
“Mom, I… I just needed some fresh air. It-”  
Her mom cut her off, “How do you think I felt? I wake up and my daughter is nowhere to be found.”  
“I know. I'm sorry. I just needed fresh air, I was barely gone.”  
“Do you expect me to believe you? I checked the security cameras, you were gone for hours! I bet you were with some boy. Weren't you, you little slut?” Her previously stern lecture had turned into yelling.  
Pacifica's voice got weak, “Mom...”  
“How dare you cry. You are a disgrace.”  
She raised her hand, striking Pacifica across the cheek, “Don’t come downstairs until you're ready to apologize.”  
After hearing the door close, Pacifica curled up and looked at Mabels hair tie, still on her wrist. The emotion of the night took over and she began to sob.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pacifica finally reaches out to Mabel even though she is grounded.

“Ughhhh, Wendy I just don’t know what to do.”

“Have you tried talking to her friends? I mean that's the best idea.”

“I tried but she doesn’t have many real friends…”

“It’ll be ok, bro, just give her some time.”

“Thanks Wendy, waiting is just so hard.”

Mabel climbed back down the ladder. She hadn’t heard from Pacifica since they hung out in the woods a few nights ago. She was starting to get worried. She walked past Ford and Dipper who were deep in conversation in the kitchen and reached her room. She flopped down onto her bed and sighed, grabbing headphones from her bedside table. The music was luring her to take a nap when she felt someone sit down on the end of her bed. She bolted up and saw it was Dipper, so she laid back down.

“That girl isn't good for you, she isn't good for any of us. We’re better off now.”

“Yea right, you barely know her.”

“Do you really think you know her either? She doesn’t like people like us, what makes you think this is different?”

“You don't get it, she's nice with me. You're just holding a grudge from middle school.”

“Fine, you're right I don't like her.”

“But you get to have friends that I don't like.”

“Mabel, she hasn't answered you in days. Take a hint. She doesn't want to be your friend!”

Mabel threw her pillow at him with surprising accuracy hitting his face, “Why are you such an asshole all the time. Just leave me alone.”

Dipper walked away and Mabel faintly heard Ford ask, “Any changes?”

She buried her head in the pillow and let out a muffled scream, kicking her feet. She decides to stay in bed until dinner, she would deal with the outside world then.

…

Dipper sat in the bed a few feet away from Mabel, working on his laptop. The night was bleak and cold, like most late October nights. She missed the summer, the long days and starry nights with friends. More than anything she wanted to go back to those days, to get away from the homework and endless darkness. Dipper interrupted her train of thought, “Good night.”

“Good night.” She clicked off the light.

“Um... I'm sorry, if what I said earlier was out of line. It's been years since I talked to Pacifica.”

“She's totally different now. She's sweet and shy, I wish you’d give her a chance!”

“I just don't wanna see you get hurt Mabel, what if this is all some big trick.”

“She wouldn't do that to me.”

“Maybe you're right.” The conversation ended there and soon they were both fast asleep.

…

It was a quiet morning the following day. Mabel stood in the kitchen making a sandwich and listening to Grunkle Stan drone on about someone he used to know. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a fancy black car pull up with a familiar face. It was that man who she saw at the mall, Pacifica’s personal driver. She lit up and rushedly washing her hands and setting down the ingredients. She maneuvered through the house, running to reach the door. Mabel looked through the peephole only to see the man walking back to the car. She stepped away to unlock the door and felt her toe brush over paper. She bent over and picked up the letter, which turned over to reveal the words, “To Mabel Pines at the Mystery Shack” carefully written in black pen.

 _No address, delivered by hand, that's not weird at all._ She scoffed to herself, tucking the letter into her armpit and returning to the kitchen. She placed the chopped tomato and avocado between the slices of bread and gave it a quick diagonal cut, compressing the sandwich. As she went back upstairs with her lunch, she took the letter in her other hand, examining both sides for details she could have missed. 

The letter felt weighty, probably packed with some important information. But what could it be, and why was some butler delivering it?

Pushing into her through the bedroom door with her hip, Mabel set the plate on the desk and got to work opening the letter. She pulled out the papers and found it was 2 pages filled front to back with words. She began to skim.

**Dear Mabel, It's Pacifica and I feel I owe you some explanation about why we haven't talked.**

_Finally_.

**… My mom caught me coming back and I got grounded… 6 weeks of no phone… only school…**

_I_ _knew Dipper was wrong about her_.

**… don't worry I didn't tell her I was with you, your family won't find out. But I think she was right about some stuff…**

_Huh_...

**… I can't risk getting into trouble, I have people relying on me. They expect me to be perfect… I liked hanging out with you but I don't know if it's worth everything that happened... We can still see each other at school… I'm so sorry Mabel. Sincerely, Pacifica**

_What the hell? Did she just say I'm not worth hanging out with? This girl is crazy. What does she want from me?_

Mabel tossed the letter into her top drawer, going back to her sandwich. This didn't distract her though, with every bite she took the thoughts ate away a little bit more.

_Is this a me issue? Because she seems like the problem here? Is it something I did, was I too clingy? Is she really that introverted that she can't handle me. This sucks! I thought we were getting along and she goes and ruins it._

Ripping a page from a nearby notebook, Mabel unconsciously went to write a response until a voice in her mind urged against it. She sided with the voice and tried to remove any thoughts of Pacifica. This attempt was unsuccessful. She felt her mind betraying her, reminding her of Pacifica. Nagging her about her failures in their friendship.

This feeling became constant in the next few days, as Mabel kept trying to forget someone that her heart was intent on keeping around.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pacifica is still grounded and missing Mabel so she decides to reach out again.

_ Two days, no response.  _ The voice in her head reasoned,  _ Well maybe she didn't get it? _

Pacifica went about finding another envelope and a few sheets of paper, she decided to write another letter. 

**Dear Mabel,**

**I hope you got my first letter. Well actually I hope you didn’t because that would explain why you didn't write back. I'm sorry if I came across wrong in that I just wanna hear from you.**

_ After this she decided to copy down the main ideas of the first letter, in case Mabel really hadn't received the letter. But she added a note at the bottom with her home phone number and a message that read: _

**If you need to call as a last resort say it's about something for english class, my mom should let me answer.**

Satisfied with this letter she closed it and tried to conceal it under her arm and headed downstairs. She found Emily, the housekeeper, standing in the kitchen. 

Emily was young, 25 at the oldest, and was one of many employees on the Northwest Estate. Most housekeepers quit after a few weeks because of the overbearing rules or were fired because they broke one of said rules. And yet, Emily had survived for more than a year and somehow still kept a good attitude towards her work. 

“Hi… I have a letter to send but I still can't leave,” Pacifica said, getting quieter as she continued, “I was hoping you could take it the next time you go to the market?”

Emily nodded, “Of course I can, sweetheart, but that won't be for at least 4 days. You could try to find someone else?”

Pacifica didn't look happy with this answer and she picked up on it, “... Or you could mail it and that way the letter will probably get to their house in 1 or 2 days.”

“Yeah! I didn't think of that before but that could work. At least for now. I have stamps somewhere.”

As Pacifica started back out of the room and up the stairs, Emily called out, “Glad I could help!”

…

It had only been 3 days since Pacifica put the letter in the mailbox, specifically 77 and a half hours. She knew it was unrealistic but she was expecting a letter every time she heard someone walking past her door. She had an understanding with most of the employees that if they got a letter addressed to her they would quietly give it to her. She hoped her kindness towards them would offset any chances that they passed the letter on to her dad or even worse, her mom. 

As she sat at her desk thinking, she heard a call ringing out from every receiver. There wasn’t a phone in Pacifica’s room, it had been removed because her mom decided it was a distraction and a luxury that Pacifica did not deserve. But through her open door she heard someone pick up the call and a few seconds later her father called her down. She kept up a fast pace, the heels of her indoor shows clicking as she walked down the stairs, across the main hall and through a series of open doors before she found her father, who was sitting with the phone face up on the desk in front of him. She was beckoned into the room with a quick hand wave pointing to the small leather chair across the desk from him. 

“It’s your classmate. She says she needs you to help explain the english homework.”

“Oh um… which classmate?” 

It could be Mabel but she didn’t want to risk getting her hopes up.

“I believe she said her name was Mabel Pines.”

Pacifica’s heart did a flip and she suppressed a smile.

“Yes, I can help her, should I take the call in the study,” She began to move forward in her chair to allow herself to get up when her father interrupted.

“No bother, you can talk right here.”

He held the phone out and cautiously Pacifica took it from his hand. In her head, she rushed through what she could say that wouldn’t cause any suspicions.

“Hi Mabel.”

The voice on the other end of the phone lit up, “Pacifica!”

“So what did you need to know about the assignment.”

“Ooooh how fun we’re like spies.”

Pacifica barely took her eyes off her dad who was now sorting through papers, “Um well, we have to do all the questions on the first page.”

“Since it’s a long weekend I left a letter by the very edge of the manor’s property. I slipped it under a rock right under the fence, near all those white flowers.”

“Yes, I'm pretty sure it's due Thursday but it wouldn’t hurt to finish it before then. I could review it for you.”

“I know our schedule doesn't match but I can slip it in your locker when classes start again.”

“Yea my lockers number 124, right outside of Ms. Johnson’s class.”

“Ok I hope we see each soon.”

“Yea me too. Bye.”

Handing the phone back to her dad, Pacifica excused herself and went back to her room. She ran up the stairs, taking them 2 steps at a time. Once she got into her room she ran to the window and craned her neck to view the area. It would have been easier to see from the balcony, but that had been locked up because of Pacifica’s “excursions”, as her mother put it. She knew the area Mabel was talking about, those white azalea bushes near the corner of the where the thick forested area began.

After she let a few minutes pass, Pacifica put on socks and a sweater and awoke her dog who was sleeping at the doggie bed next to her bed. She attempted to act casually, knocking on the now ajar door of her mother's room where she sat reading a newspaper. 

“Mom, I want some fresh air and exercise. I was hoping I could take Jackie on a jog. I promise I wont go past the gates, just a few laps in the yard.” 

Looking her up and down, she answered, “Yes, but be back inside in 15 minutes.”

Thankfully, and predictably, her mother did not want to come with her. Pacifica back out of the door, "Thank you.”

She went to the backdoor, finding her sneakers, fake premise aside she would be going a fair distance. Pacifica opened the door and took a few seconds to savor the cold air hitting the inside of her nose when she inhaled. She made a mental note of the time: 3:17. Immediately, she took off, hardly pacing herself, with every step her head became more clear. 

Soon she rounded the corner of the house and started down the hill. Pacifica was glad that Mabel had chosen a fairly ignored section of the property, even if it was unintentionally. The shrubs became clearer as she got closer and focused her sight in on them. Time rushed by and what felt like 10 seconds later she was at the fence. 

Pacifica scanned the area, poking and prodding at every rock and pile of dirt, Jackie nosing along after her to investigate. Eventually, she found the right one. It was not well hidden but that didn't matter now. She grabbed it and quickly gave herself distance from the fence to not raise any suspicions. Pacifica folded up the envelope and tried her best to stuff it into her sports bra. 

Necessary? Yes. Uncomfortable? Definitely.

She began her trek back up the hill and she had 9 minutes left so she finished up with another few laps around the house, in case someone decided to check in on her. 

Making her way inside she purposely walked past her mom's room on her way to her own and made eye contact with her.

Now in her own room, she carefully closed the door and carefully sliced open the letter. It was at least 3 pages long, with a few photos attached at different sections. 

She decided it would be best to just start at the beginning and to skim. The length seemed partly due to Mabel's large messy handwriting, large sections of sentences were scratched out because she wrote in a purple pen instead of using pencil.

**PACIFICAAAAAA I MISS YOUUUU :(**

**I was worried about you when you stopped responding. I hope you're doing alright stuck at home. I tried to find you at school this week but our lunches don't match up… I hope you were able to find this letter. I'm from the past (spooky right) so I don't know if I was able to contact you.**

_ There's the Mabel I know. _

**I got both the letters you sent. The way you talked in the first made me feel like you didn't really want me to reach out. Plus I wasn’t sure how I would reach out if I tried… I like being your friend. I hope that can continue, but you're kinda confusing me...**

_ Oh no, Mabel I’m sorry… I wish I could just find her and explain myself because I didn’t mean it like that.  _

The letter continued with Mabel talking about her day, which she described as “awesome”, and about Pacifica being grounded, which she said was “super not awesome”. Among the pages there were three photos: one close up of Mabel doing a peace sign and smiling, another of Mabel and Dipper awkwardly posing in front of the mystery shack, and a third of Mabel holding a pig which from the caption she gathered was named Waddles.

Mabel was wearing the same bright blue sweater in every photo, leading Pacifica to believe they were all taken in one day.

**I added some photos so you don't forget what I look like :) I have a feeling I’ll hear from you soon (probably when I call you later to tell you about this letter). Don’t die before I get to see you again!**

**\- Mabel**

_ I miss her so much. _

Pacifica held the letter to her chest. Sighing in relief, practically melting into the pillows. She could have stayed there forever but she needed a shower because she was starting to smell like sweat. 

She made quick work refolding the letter and placing it within the pages of a copy of Romeo and Juliet, which she put back on the bookshelf.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this at 2 am and didn't really proofread so i hope it turned out well. I'm working on a short little chapter now and, hopefully, it'll be out later today or tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very short one shot because I've been busy with school :(

Mabel picked at the cracked rubbery seat of the bus as she waited for the students near the front to empty out. Her backpack, jacket, and everything she needed was all packed and seated beside her. It had been a while since she felt like she had something to get excited about on her way to school. Like clockwork, three seats ahead students entered the aisle and Mabel stood up, ready to slip into the flow of students when the opportunity presented itself. And soon enough, there was an opportunity. She thanked the driver on her way out and tried to find her footing in the snow, ice, and slush in front of the school. Mabel purposely stepped in the piles of slush to watch how they squished out from under her foot.  
Stepping through the doors she wiped her feet on the mat and checked the time on her phone. 8:17. Pacifica is probably still in orchestra practice and Mabel would have 13 minutes to get to morning announcements.  
124\. She repeated that locker number in her head. 124. She scanned the walls and saw 196. Not yet. Still scanning, she went down the next hallway. 124. She was greeted by a chorus of voices that she recognized, a few noticed her and smiled.  
“Good Morning, Mabel” a deep voice boomed.  
Mabel greeted the group, “Hey guys, good morning. I gotta go ask my math teacher a question. See you guys in class!”  
She rushed away, making sure to check the faded numbers on the lockers she passed. She quickly realized she was at the number 187 and sped up.  
She spent a few hours last night trying to think of what to write, she decided on something simple but it ended up getting longer and longer and was almost 2 full pages. She spent a while talking about what she did for the past few days, gossiping about the kids in her class, everything she would have been telling Pacifica if they could talk on the phone.  
Pacifica’s schedule was intense, every moment accounted for and not a minute to talk except for short bursts in the hallway.  
  
All she could hear was the muted tapping of the soles of her boots on the floors. Mabel saw the number 128 and stopped in her tracks. She slowly stepped forward and tracked the next few lockers with her eyes, Reaching one lonely undecorated locker, 124.  
She stood for a minute double checking that the number she wrote on the corner of the page matched with the locker  
She slipped the letter into the slit at the top of the locker door. It made a sound as it dropped down and hit the bottom.  
Mabel smiled and then composed herself. Feeling relieved she turned around and checked the time again. 8:25. Quietly she walked off to the office and read the script for the announcements on her phone.


End file.
